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| Postdoc Compensation: Subsidy Stays |
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| By Tirtha Das | ||
| October 2004 | PDA News | |
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President Paul Nurse’s September 17 memorandum announcing the continuation of the existing Rent Subsidy available to postdocs comes after a series of meetings between PDA subcommittees and University officials. The Human Resources (HR) department is developing the details of this new proposal with input from the PDA. The final form of the revamped policy should, according to Dr. Nurse, preserve the expectations current postdocs had when they joined The Rockefeller University. From ‘Promise’ to PolicyEven though details of the new policy remain ‘vague’, most postdocs are satisfied that the existing rent subsidy remains intact. What they want now is a clear and transparent policy to be developed. Postdocs always complained about the complicated nature of the old proposal. In addition to its potential to cause financial damage, it was also confusing—both factors contributing to the proposal’s extreme unpopularity. They want the new proposal to be both fair in its content and clear in its design. This will ensure that what is ‘promised on paper’ by the University is truly ‘accepted as policy’ by the postdoc community. University-Postdoc NegotiationsBut if the recent interactions between President Nurse and PDA subcommittees are any indication, then there is hope for both constructive dialogue and fruitful outcomes. After the September 1 meeting with a delegation of 17 PDA subcommittee members, President Nurse ordered a joint meeting between the HR department and postdocs. This crucial meeting allowed postdocs to present three kinds of analyses, all of which indicated that large losses in net compensation would result under the proposed guidelines. University officials agreed that the postdoc analysis was very thorough. The University’s calculations, in their opinion, underestimated the negative impact because neither the full range of taxes nor the cost of living increase was considered. President Nurse has emphasized the need to bring about a quick and fair resolution to this issue. He has met with PDA subcommittees on various occasions and shown a desire to include postdoc opinions during the formulation of the new proposal. We hope the negotiations between the PDA representatives and the University over the next few weeks can develop a policy that is fair to both continuing and incoming postdocs. In the meantime, the PDA would like to extend its gratitude to all those motivated postdocs who contributed creative analyses, constructive comments, and helpful ideas that ultimately led to a coherent and accurate argument in support of our position.Related Articles: |
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